New Snohomish County rules for shoreline development will allow existing AM radio towers and ones with permits already issued to be rebuilt if they are damaged or destroyed.

The issue had been a point of contention as the County Council prepared its final version of shoreline-management rules that have been in the works for six years. Some feared that overly restrictive rules for rebuilding radio broadcast towers could have encouraged more acts of sabotage such as the September 2009 toppling of two of KRKO's (1380 AM) towers.

The partnership that built the KRKO towers also is planning two more 199-foot towers at the same location. The FCC on Wednesday requested more environmental analysis from CAAM Partnership LLC of Everett.